This leaves him just 18 points behind four-time world champion Verstappen in the standings. Despite this, however, Russell remains out of contract at the end of the year. This is due to ongoing contract talks with Verstappen, who Wolff believes he can lure away from rivals Red Bull amid long-running behind-the-scenes turmoil in Milton Keynes.

There’s nothing new about the Verstappen to Mercedes rumour, which began last year as Toto Wolff publicly courted the Red Bull driver as a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. Wolff went on to sign Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli as Russell’s F1 2025 team-mate, but both drivers are out of contract at the end of this season.